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Only handful of schools earn DPS's top ranking

By Jeremy P. Meyer The Denver Post

Posted:
09/18/2009 01:00:00 AM MDT

Updated:
09/18/2009 12:54:16 PM MDT

Tom Elliott, principal of Cowell Elementary, announces to students and staff Thursday that the school showed the most academic growth in DPS s annual performance assessment. (THE DENVER POST | KARL GEHRING)

Only nine of 140 schools received the top ranking in Denver Public Schools' districtwide annual performance assessment.

DPS on Thursday released the results of its School Performance Framework, a measurement tool that assesses each school based on a variety of data points — including student academic growth, performance on standardized tests and attendance.

The tool considers about 50 measuring points and develops rankings that are heavily weighted on academic progress.

Each school gets a rating: "distinguished," "meets expectations," "on watch" or "on probation."

Nine schools were rated "distinguished" this year, compared with 10 last year. And only one of those, West Denver Prep, serves mostly poor students.

Twenty-five schools are "on probation" this year, compared with 35 last year. Of those 25 on probation, 19 serve largely poor student bodies.

Twenty-five schools moved up one framework level, and 22 decreased a level from last year. Twenty-five schools improved their scores by at least 10 percentage points, and 16 saw scores drop by 10 points.

The Stapleton-based charter school Denver School of Science and Technology was ranked the best school in the city, according to the framework.

"It is a multi-measure, multi-indicator look to answer the most important question: How is each one of our schools doing?" said Superintendent Tom Boasberg.

Position on the framework determines bonuses for principals and for most teachers in noncharter schools.

Teachers enrolled in the tax-supported Professional Compensation System, or ProComp, can earn up to $4,800 in bonuses if they are in a high academic growth school and if their school is among the top half of schools on the framework. Principals can earn up to $10,000 if their school earns a distinguished rating and $5,500 for having high growth on the framework.

Schools repeatedly at the top of the performance framework get more incentives and autonomy to choose their paths and more control over their budgets.

Those at the bottom get more interventions and more administrative direction and could face extreme measures — such as new programs, an overhaul of the staff or even closure.

Boasberg on Thursday visited West Denver Prep and Cowell Elementary — both schools that fared well on the framework and that serve largely poor neighborhoods on the city's west side.

At Cowell Elementary — where nearly 100 percent of students are poor enough to be eligible for federal meal benefits — teachers and students filed into the library for an after-school staff meeting. They had not yet heard the good news.

"I can't wait to tell them," said Tom Elliott, the school's principal for six years.

Last year Cowell had the district's lowest ranking, "on probation," and had failed to succeed in most of the areas being measured.

This year Cowell showed the most academic growth in the district — improving by 28 percentage points on the framework and leapfrogging into the "meets expectations" category.

There is no secret in how it was accomplished, Elliott said.

"You get the right people in the right places," he said. "They work hard. The kids work hard. And the families are supportive. There is no one thing."

Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 or jpmeyer@denverpost.com

Denver Public Schools' School Performance Framework ratings

2009

Distinguished: 9 schools, one of which has 75 percent or more students eligible for free and reduced-price meal benefits (FRL)

Meets expectations: 54 schools, 23 with 75 percent or higher FRL

On watch: 52 schools, 36 with 75 percent or more FRL

On probation: 25 schools, 19 with 75 percent or more FRL

What about your child's school?

Nine DPS schools received "Distinguished" ratings. They are:

Denver School of Science and Technology (grades 9-12)

West Denver Preparatory Charter School (grades 6-8)

Steck Elementary School

Polaris Elementary School at Ebert

Slavens Elementary School

Bromwell Elementary School

University Park Elementary School

Lincoln Elementary School

Cory Elementary School

Six schools increased their overall SPF scores by 20 points or more:

Cowell Elementary School (28)

Sabin International Elementary School (26)

Garden Place Elementary School (25)

Farrell B. Howell School (K-8) (21)

Force Elementary School (20)

Colorado High School (20)

23 High-Poverty DPS Schools Received a "Distinguished" or "Meets" Rating on the 2009 SPF

(Schools listed below have at least 80% of their enrollment qualify for free/reduced price meals)

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